The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latin and compared with the French. by Tho: Johnson. Whereunto are added three tractates our of Adrianus Spigelius of the veines, arteries, & nerves, with large figures. Also a table of the bookes and chapters.

CHAP. VII. Of the Flux of Blood, which usually happens in Wounds.

OFt-times great bleeding follows upon wounds, by reason of some vessel cut, broken, or torn, which there is need to heal and help diligently, because the Bloud is the treasure of Nature, without which life cannot consist. The Bloud which floweth from an Artery, is thus known. It is more subtile, it runs forth as it were leaping, by reason of the vital spirit con∣tained together with it in the Arteries. On the contrary that which floweth from a Vein is more gross, black, and slow. Now there many wayes of stanching Bloud.

The first and most usual is that, by which the lips of the Wound are closed, and, unless it be somewhat deep, are contained by Medicines which have an astringent, cooling, drying, and glutinous faculty; As terrae sigill. Boli Armeni, ana ℥ ss, Thuris, Mastichis, Myrrhae, Aloes, ana ʒ ij,

Farinae volat. molend. ℥ j, Fiat pulvis qui albumine ovi excipiatur. Or ℞. Thuris & Aloes, ana par∣tes aequales. Let them be mixt with the white of an Egge, and the down of a Hare, and let the pledgets be dipped in these Medicines, as well those which are put unto the Wound as those which are applyed about it. Then let the Wound be bound up with a double cloth and fit Liga∣ture, and the part be so seated as may seem the least troublesome and most free from pain.

But if the blood cannot be stayed by this means, when you have taken off all that covereth it, you shall press the Wound and the orifice of the Vessel with your thumb, so long untill the blood shall be concrete about it, into so thick a clot as may stop the passage.

But if it cannot be thus stayed, then the Suture (if any be) must be opened, and the mouth of the Vessell towards the originall or root, must be taken hold of, and bound with your needle and thred, with as great a portion of the flesh as the condition of the part will permit. For thus I have staid great bleedings, even in the amputation of members, as I shall shew in fit place. To perform this work, we are often forced to divide the skin which covereth the wounded vessell. For if the Jugular vein, or Artery be cut, it will contract and withdraw it self up∣wards and downwards. Then the skin it self must be laid open under which it lyeth, and thrust∣ing a needle and thred under it, it must be bound as I have often done. But before you loose the knot, it is fit the flesh should be grown up, that it may stop the mouth of the vessel, lest it should then bleed.

But if the condition of the part shall be such as may forbid this comprehension, and binding of the vessel; we must come to Escharoticks, such as are the powder of burnt Vitriol, the pow∣der of Mercury, with a small quantity of burnt Allum; and Causticks which cause an Escar. The falling away of which must be left to nature, and not procured by art, lest it should fall away before that the orifice of the vessel shall be stopt with the flesh, or clotted blood.

But sometimes it happens that the Chirurgeon is forced wholly to cut off the vessel it self, that thus the ends of the cut vessel withdrawing themselves, and shrinking upwards and down∣wards, being hidden by the quantity of the adjacent and incompassing parts, the flux of the blood, which was before not to be staid, may be stopped with lesse labour. Yet this is an extream remedy and not to be used, unlesse you have in vain attempted the former.

Notes

• The signs of bloud flowing from an arte∣ry.
• The first way of staying bleeding.
• The 2. manner of stanching it
• The 3. way by binding of the vessels.
• An admonition
• The 4. way by Eschatoricks.
• The 5. way by cutting off the vessels.